February Scrapology Card Challenge - Clearly Yours!

Ha ha - welcome to the month of lurve and the February card challenge for Scrapology.  Those two don't necessarily go together - but I had to make a Valentine's card anyway, so I tied in the theme of using something transparent with the occasion on Feb 14th. 

I have been very drawn to the grey and yellow colour schemes of late - they always look fresh and sophisticated.  So I followed that theme and stayed away from the traditional red, and came up with this card.

 

 

I used some Papermania Shimmer A4 card in lemon which is not a bad weight, and using my Hearts Framelits, cut a heart shape aperture in the card and also a bigger heart out of waste acetate.  As a last step, I also adhered clear gems which are supposed to look like a "floating" heart - I ran some wet glue inside the heart shape, waited for it to go tacky, and then adhered the gems.  That way, they won't fall off, but you can still get some movement and adjust their placement should you need to.  I used most of the Jenni Bowlin Studio Rub-on Sheet - it was much smaller in size than my actual card which is 5.5 x 8 inches, but I split it apart and apportioned out the rub-ons accordingly.  I am always trying to use up bits and pieces, and had a white stray envelope in that size!

 

I don't much like organza ribbon, but in this case, I had a spare bit of lemon from somewhere and it stuck on fairly transparently with wet glue. Again, I believe that the secret of using wet glue is to smear it on, and wait for it to go tacky, so you don't get the staining of the ribbon. It wasn't my intention, but weirdly enough, most of my elements were of a transparent nature, so very fitting for the theme!

 



 

 

This is what the inside looks like.  I used the aperture and also cut a larger grey heart with the framelits, so that disguised the creasing and the indent made by the Big Shot.  I had been given some "baby" themed rub-ons by Royal and Langnickel from Tara, and thought it was appropriate here. If you can't get a bit mushy on Valentine's Day, when can you?

 

Supplies:

Jenni Bowlin Studio "Damask Background Silver" rub-on sheet

Papermania Shimmer A4 card - lemon

Acetate

Hearts Framelits

Martha Stewart punch

Silver heart charm

Lemon organza ribbon

London Fog Memento ink

PSX stamps - Celtic

Clear gems of various sizes

Royal & Langnickel "Baby" rub-on words

Big Shot

 

Why don't you take up Lynn's challenge to make a card using something transparent?  It is always lovely to see the entries and you might even win a prize! G'wan, g'wan . . you know you want to .... :)

January Sketchy Scrappers layout - Brrm Brrm!

Here is the sketch that Gemma gave us to scrap, which lasted over the December - January months. 

 

I didn't really have much time to scrap over this period, but had a belated crafty birthday day with my friend Tara and did most of the layout on this day.  Quite a simple one - and I used lots of photos of Henry on a new car from Grandma Jones which the boys got for Christmas.  I wanted to scrap the series of pictures, because there wasn't a photo which stood out from the others.

 



 

The background paper is one from Prima Marketing "My Mommy and Me" which I have pulled out quite a few times for other layouts, but never seemed to fit.  I thought it was perfect here and fitted in especially well with the sketch.  I felt that the edges needed some definition and so that things weren't so wishy washy, drew around all the edges in black pen. 

 

I used the freebie stamp from the June 2012 edition of "Craft Stamper" to convey some movement and add some dynamism to the layout.  I would have entitled it "brrm...brrm...." but there weren't enough "r's!" The only fiddly bit to this layout was to cut out those stars from the Echo Park "Little Boy Borders" paper.  Amazing how much was missing before I added them and they just added the perfect finishing touch. 

 

Supplies:

Prima Marketing "My Mommy and Me" 2008 by Nancy Kubo

Echo Park Little Boy "Little Boy Borders" 2010

Echo Park Splash "Big Dots" 2011 (Turqoise Zig Zag)

Echo Park Splash "Blue/Blue"

Basic Grey Oh Baby! "Buttercup"

Stampin' Up Ink - Turquoise

American Crafts Precision Pen

American Crafts Thickers "Sprinkles" black vinyl

Craft Stamper June 2012 free swirl stamp by the Artistic Stamper

 

I really like the fact that I was able to use up some of my oldest paper, with some of my newest.  It's the way I like to scrap and I have found that fashions go in cycles anyway.  I think after a while, the styles of paper blend together and it really doesn't matter what age it is.  It doesn't matter once your photos are committed to memory in a scrapbook page in an album!  Thanks for stopping by.  :)

 

 



Scrapology February layout - texture paste

Hi every one and welcome to the February Scrapology challenge - to use texture paste.  This month, we are scraplifting Heather Jacobs and her particular layout on the Scrapology layout here:

Below is my interpretation.  The photo is of Henry, and is one of the series that were taken on 21st July 2011, when the boys were 15 days old. 


 

Seeing that this month's particular challenge was texture paste, I used it in the diamonds below the photo (as Heather did in her layout) and also in the leaf fronds underneath the flowers. 

 

I recently purchased both the Donna Downey Poppies and Peonies 12 x 12 mask, and the Mini Deco Doily mask by Julie Fei Fan Balzer.  I had resisted buying any doilies as I don't particularly like them, but by buying a mask, I can make one whenever I want.  I wanted a very light, monochromatic feel to this layout with the focus being on this beautiful photo - hopefully I achieved that.  I stitched this piece of Daisy D's patterned paper on the left side as I thought it matched in well with the peach of my mother-in-law's top. I then thought I had made a massive mistake by adding this in as I felt it was too distracting from the photo - I still don't know if I like it or not. 

 

The Jo Sonja texture paste is applied in a tube, so it is quite easy to control.  I didn't have a diamond stencil, so I made my own - I used my small diamond punch and punched out one diamond in some scrap paper, and then drew the grid lines from that pattern.  I then cut out every second diamond with my craft knife and then weighted the piece of paper down, using it as a mask. 

 

I did struggle a lot with this layout - I seem to say that every time. I think it is probably because of the amount of time it takes me to produce an "arty" or very technique based layout like this these days! 



Evening 1 - mist the doily (I mixed silver and teal Cosmic Shimmer mists, as either colour on their own was too dark and I wanted a very subtle finish)
Evening 2 - cut out the doily.  Texture paste the fronds
Evening 3 - make the harlequin mask and texture paste the cardstock
Evening 4 - punch the hearts down the side and cut out the fronds
Evening 5 - stitch the paper to the cardstock and distress the edges
Evening 6 - stamp the title and layer it up with foam pads; paint the edges of the plaque
Evening 7 - customise the flowers, using Rich Gold and Angel Mist cosmics shimmers.  I then chalk and distress inked them until they were the colour I wanted.  I then added more Angel Mist to the cardstock, predominantly to the right hand side over the hearts. 
Day 8 - I had the day off on this day, so had a bit more time.  I adhered every second heart on to the background with foam pads, but reversed the patterned paper so the hearts were more prominent.  I then added the other stamping elements, making the heart more dimensional by adding foam pads underneath.  Then assemble!  That probably took two more hours.  The ribbon doesn't show up very well, but you can see it more clearly on the actual layout.

So this layout has probably taken at least 12 hours.  Definitely a labour of love then - both for the subject and for the hobby and the art.  No wonder I feel that each of these particular layouts is quite a journey these days. 

 

Supplies:

Paper - First Edition "Up, Up and Away" patterned paper pad
Daisy D's Lullaby patterned paper

Bazzill cardstock

Mists - Cosmic Shimmer Silver, Teal, Angel Mist, Rich Gold

Stamps - Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz collection "Odds and Ends"

Autumn Leaves "Romance of Spring" clear stamps by Sande Krieger

Distress Stains - Spun Sugar, Tattered Rose

Colorbox fluid chalk inks - Baby Blue and Prussian Blue

Jo Sonja's white texture paste

It's a Boy adhesive ribbons

Bo Bunny Snowflake Jewels

The Crafter's Workshop Balzer Designs "Mini Deco Doilies" 6 x 6 template

Prima Donna Downey Studios "Poppies & Peonies" 12 x 12 mask

Jo Sonja's Titanium White acrylic paint and Flow Medium

My Mind's Eye "Wild Asparagus" Embroidered Brad

Small heart punch
Dies - Sizzix Framelits "Frames with Sprigs"

Funny how you can have something sitting in your stash for so many years, and then it jumps back into the foreground of your usage!  I always loved that set of Autumn Leaves stamps - just only used them once or twice.  I used them more on this layout than at any other time previously.  Guess it just happens that way.

I hope yours doesn't take 12 hours - still, it makes no odds.  A layout in the album, another memory added and preserved and my eyes saved from watching TV! Thanks for stopping by.  :)

 



Scrapology January 2013 card challenge

Linda spun the colour wheel for us this month, and came up with the scheme of lime, purple and silver! I've used this colour combination before, and very zesty it is too.  Makes me think of new shoots of spring! 

Lots of lovely examples on our Scrapology blog with everyone demonstrating their different styles.  My cards these days tend to the more simpler, graphic design and this is no exception:



 

 

I backed the freebie label with a file folder, cut down to make a mat.  A lovely friend sent me two packs of handmade paper quite some years ago - one in purples, and the other in limes and aquas.  I came across these a couple of days ago, when digging through my stash ... it is amazing what you unearth when you have a good look!

 

The leafy florishes don't show up very well - I would have preferred them in plain silver, but because I cut one white side up, the silver side of the card reflected the scratches in the cutting plate, so I had to cover it up with something!  So the thick Ice Stickles from Ranger did the trick.  I didn't think I would use them as much as the much finer Stickles, but the coarse glitter really does have its place and provides even more punchier bling than the normal Stickles.  Particularly effective on festive cards. 

 

I customised the metal flower embellishments by changing them from pink to purple with a Promarker, and added a gem to each centre.  And the greeting is pretty special, considering it is from a freebie mag set - it is a bit bigger than normal, so provides some extra impact.  All good! 

 

Supplies:

 

5 x 7 card blank

Lime cardstock "Cricut"

Purple "Innovations" Handmade Craft paper 

Silver Card

Dienamics "Leafy Flourish" die

K & Co green patterned file folder

Purple freebie label from The Scrapbook Magazine

Lime flowers - "Prima Essentials 5"

Freebie stamps from card magazine - Stamp Doodles "Special Wishes"

Papermania Metal accessories - flower centres

Gems

Tim Holtz distress ink - "Seedless Preserves"

Ranger Ice Stickles "Silver Ice"

 

 

So, what I think is a nice card made from mostly old stash and bits and pieces and ready to make someone's day.  Why don't you have a go with our challenge and see what you come up with?  Happy January.  :)

Use Your Stash - First Birthday Cards!

I realise that I do many craft projects that I never upload to my blog, but sometimes I do take photos of them with the best of intentions. 

So it's about time to convert those intentions into actions and share ....

Last year, about the time when my twin sons turned one, I had a group of friends whose children also turned one - so it was time to get the creativity going and produce some cards for the youngest members of our population. 

 

Using American Crafts patterned paper, Spellbinders nestabilities and some very old stickers ...

 

Heather kindly donated some Daisy D's "Lullaby" range to me, and I had created a couple of layouts with it.  This was using some of the left over papers and alpha stickers ... I also used a balloon and script stamp that I've had for years - just some Glossy Accents over the top to give it some emphasis!

I used some left over Autumn Leaves "Mod" range of papers and some ribbon - and used an "I" instead of a 1, which I don't think you can tell ...

 

Some First Editions paper here - a new paper pad for me, together with the Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 4 die, and the Waltzing Mouse labels stamps.  Some ancient rub-ons, and a Thickers "1" .... The stamps were freebies from a card magazine lent to me by Tara - I loved the stamp set so much I had to go and buy it on Ebay.  Very unusual for me, as it is very cutesy, but things change beyond all recognition when you have children, I have found!

 

Some freebie mag paper here and some washi tape!  I backed the washi tape with white card, and then used it like ribbon ... I love the combination of aqua, red and white! That stamp will come in especially useful for children's birthday cards in the future, I think. 

Some ancient blue paper in my blue scraps bag and a cutesy stamped image with a Bazzill Just the Edge strip.  I love blue and gold together - cheerful and bright!

A good record for me of some of the past projects I have done, and it might provide some good ideas for others who might struggle.  I'll be back soon with more in the series of "Using your stash .... "





Happy New Year!

Welcome to the New Year - another year of  big changes afoot and some crafting journeys ... starting with new challenges with Scrapology.  Many of you will know Elaine from Scrap 365 magazine, Paper Arts Shop and her blog The Distressed Scrapper.
This month, we are scraplifting this layout, which appeared on a cover of Scrap 365:-



So the challenge this month was to use tags. 

Being December, I had no chance to start this layout until Christmas was finished, and managed to grab an hour and a bit yesterday to get this layout done, albeit a very simplified version:

 

I was very pleased to pull this layout out of the bag with limited time.  Its always a bonus to use up more very old stash, too!  This time, some of the original Basic Grey, which I do still love.  I have just one tag left from the Tags and Labels sheet, so that will have to be used up on a card at some point - so to scraplift this layout was a perfect challenge with these supplies.  A friend had given me a Christmas kit some years ago, so the embellishments were also just simply pulled out of a bag. 

 

Happy New Year to everyone - hopefully you now have some spare time to take part in our challenge.  Hope it brings health and happiness for everyone. 



Supplies:
Basic Grey Aged&Confused "Sublime" Collection - Cinnamon, plus Tags and Labels sheet
MM Tiny Alphas - Black on White
Sandylion & Kelly Panacci Inc - Chipboard Medly Holiday Collection
sei Cocoa chalk ink
Plastic letters - unknown

UKS Sketchy Scrappers Challenge - 1st birthday party invitation

There are a lot of crafty projects I create that never make it onto my blog - mostly of the card making variety. I quite often "knock-up" a card or two and never bother to photograph it - the process of photographing the card, and then writing up about it, can take quite a bit longer than actually making the card itself!

However, for this month's Sketchy Scrapper's layout on UK Scrappers, I decided to base a layout on one of my craft projects that I didn't want to forget - creating the invitation to my twins' first birthday party and saving the original on a layout. I was very proud of this invitation - I wanted to create a hand-crafted invitation, that was able to be reproduced in volume. I ended up sending 45 invitations - and when you have one year old twins to look after, that process ends up being time-consuming!

I have therefore swapped the photo with my master invitation. I have taken a few liberties with the sketch, and omitted the three floral vertical embellishments, because my title was too large and impeded on that space. I was really happy to use up the scraps of the Cosmo Cricket Storytime that I had left over from my previous two layouts - both the colours and the sentiments of the message tied in really well with my planning for this layout.

I utilised one of the Disney stamps that I bought on Ebay to make the invitations as an accent on the bottom right hand side of the page - I really dislike cutesy images as a rule, but I feel that you have to include some Disney characters in scrapbooks for the really young! Winnie - the - Pooh has remained one of my favourites since childhood and I am sure I will get a great use out of these stamps. I felt that Piglet and his attentive pose was the perfect finishing touch!

Even though the sketch was fairly simple, I still manage to fiddle and faff and take quite a few hours with each layout until I pull together something that I am happy with. I am pleased with the bright happy colours that have a slightly retro twist - I feel that this echoes the invitation and the occasion in general - and at least I have done something useful with the invitation - so that it is not knocking about my craft room, gathering dust!

 

 

 

Supplies:
Bazzill cardstock; Stampin' Up!  Whisper White
Patterned paper: s.e.i. "Mayberry" - Lime Rickey; Cosmo Cricket "Storytime" - Tweedle Dee and Striptease
Alpha Stickers: Pink Paislee "Fashion Script" by Holly McCaig; American Crafts "simply chic" runway
Punches: EK Success Scallop;
Shaped Scissors:  Fiskars Cloud
Stamp:  Disney "Piglet"
Ink:  Memento "Tuxedo Black"
Promarkers:  Cocktail Pink, Cerise, Rose Pink